As schools in Borno reopen on Monday, Gov. Babagana Zulum has approved the release of N624 million for the payment of scholarships to students in tertiary institutions in the state.
The Commissioner for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Babagana Mustapha, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday in Maiduguri.
Mustapha said that 23,776 students from 49 institutions would benefit from the gesture.
He said that the first tranche of N320 million had already been released and paid to students of nine institutions, adding that the remaining students would receive theirs from Monday.
“From a total of N624,370,000 approved and released by Prof. Babagana Zulum for scholarships to 23,776 Borno students, the ministry has disbursed N320m under the first batch to students in nine tertiary schools located in the state.
“Those paid included parts four and five students of the University of Maiduguri, students of Borno State University, Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education and College of Education Waka – Biu.
“Others were those in Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies, College of Business Administration, Konduga, Umar Ibn Ibrahim College of Education, Science and Technology, Bama and Mohammed Lawan College of Agriculture,” Mustapha said.
He also disclosed that the governor had approved financial support to resident doctors of Borno origin, located in different parts of the country, to enable them to fund capacity development programmes that would be potentially beneficial to the people of the state.
The commissioner did not, however, give details of the support.